38. That’s rape
Tony
I started to worry about where Lucy was when I looked around and didn’t see her. I couldn’t make out her heartbeat through the crowd. There were so many humans around.
Then, I heard her talking to some woman who thought she knew her. I took note of her name. I tensed until it seemed that Lucy recognized her. I turned back to the conversation I was having about an export company looking for investments.
“I’ll have to look into it,” I said. “There have been some family things that have come up recently that I’m managing.”
“It’s just you and your brother here on this side of the country, right?” Someone asked. “You said your father was being taken care of overseas?”
I nodded, trying not to tense at the mention of our father. Then, I heard Lucy’s voice again.
“They bought me from an auction.“
My heart lurched. I clenched my fists, grateful that I didn’t have a glass in my hand.
What’s wrong? Matt asked. That stupid mixer can’t be under attack, right?
“Oh, my god,” the woman gasped. “Are you okay? What about your parents? Do they know? Does anyone know?”
“They know…” Lucy paused. “They sold me to the auction.”
“Oh, Lucy, you… You can’t… Come on.”
My eyes widened. My heart started to race.
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t stay with people involved with human trafficking!” She hissed, trying to whisper. “I’ll call you a cab, you can go to my manager. She can help you. Are they treating you badly?”
“No. I’m fine.”
I excused myself to walk toward the catering table in search of something to eat.
“You’re not fine. Do you even have a way to leave wherever you’re staying?”
“No.”
“Clothes? Money?”
“No.”
“Don’t you have anyone to call? Friends from high school?”
“… I didn’t go to high school.”
“Oh, god… Lucy.” She made a strange worried sound. “What—”
The woman sighed, and my gut clenched.
“Are they forcing you to have sex with them?”
Anger stirred in me. I couldn’t help it. It felt like I was going to shift right here in this hotel and reveal the supernatural world to humans.
Tony, what the hell is going on over there? Matt asked. Calm down. You’re surrounded by humans!
“Yes, but it’s not that bad—”
“Lucy! That’s rape.”
“They paid a lot for me—”
“That doesn’t mean anything!” She hissed. “If you don’t want to have sex with them, and they’re doing it anyway, it’s rape.”
“It’s not that bad…”
“…Look me in the eye and tell me you want to have sex with him? Them? How many of them?”
“…I haven’t said anything.”
She gasped. “Why not?”
“They never ask.”
I felt like someone had rammed a knife into my gut. We hadn’t asked. I had never even thought to ask. We’re mates. Of course, she wanted to be with us. We had never questioned it. Was this how Lucy really felt? Had she just been letting us do what we wanted with her? Did she think she had no choice?
She groaned. “That’s not a good reason not to say anything if you don’t want it. You have to take more care of yourself.”
“I have nowhere to go,” she said. “They don’t want much from me. I get to eat, and I have my own bed now. A real bed. I’m fine.”
“Not that bad? Lucy, you’re saying you’re basically a sex slave.”
“I know.”
“Then, you know you’re not fine! What if you get pregnant?”
“They want children.”
“Who gives a damn what they want? I can’t in good conscience let you leave with whomever you came with. Come with me. We can leave out the back.”
She said nothing. Terror filled me. Would she leave with this woman? I felt sick. I didn’t even know what to do or say. What was worse was that she wasn’t lying. I clenched my jaw and headed toward the sound of her voice. I couldn’t hear anymore. I couldn’t let this woman take our mate from us.
“I know it’s scary, but think of what you’re losing if you stay! You’re basically a prisoner, a sex slave, a few steps away from being a surrogate. Do you even want children?”
“… no.”
I shuddered. Hearing that word was agony, but worse was how softly she said it like she was on the verge of tears.
“If you get pregnant, Lucy, getting out will be so much harder. It’s not like whoever it is will take you to get an abortion. Please, let me help you. I promise you have options. You can start over in a new city. Live a new life where these people won’t find you. It might not come with fancy hair clips, but it would be yours, and you’d be safe.”
I got to the side of the room and turned the corner just as Lucy was standing with the woman and seemingly rushing towards the back door. Lucy didn’t look at me. It didn’t even seem like she’d noticed I was there. Before I could call out to her, a voice boomed from behind me.
“Tina!” A man called, coming from the other hallway where the bathrooms were. “Come on, there are a few people I want to introduce you to.”
She gave the man a thin smile. “Of course. I--”
“Lucy,” I said stiffly.
She turned and looked at me, then dropped her gaze to the floor. I saw Tina’s hands tighten around Lucy’s as she went pale. I crossed the area and slid my arm around her waist.
“Are you feeling all right?” Lucy nodded slowly. “You’re looking a little pale. Let’s get you home to lie down.”
Tina’s jaw trembled. She stared at me with wide eyes.
“Ah, Mr. Chance. I didn’t know you were still around!” Tina’s eyes widened even more as the man grinned and looked at Lucy. “How’s your father?”
I swallowed and looked at him. “Fine.”
I tightened my grip on Lucy’s waist, and I saw Tina’s grip tighten on Lucy’s hand.
“You know her, Tina?” The man asked.
Her eyes brightened, and she gave him a brilliant smile. “We went to school together. We were just catching up! It’s been ages. I was about to get her number, actually.”
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Oh, that’s good! If you’re still involved, you’ll have to bring her to my luncheon, that brother of yours too, if you can manage it!” He grinned and wrapped an arm around her. “But if you’re anything like your father, I imagine not. He had a different woman on his arm at every event! She’s a bit young, isn’t she?”
I glanced at Tina. “Interesting that you would say so, considering your age.”
He laughed again. “What can I say? Now that I’m free of that petty cow, I want the best I can afford!”
“I’m sure I can get Matt to come,” I said. “Come on, Lucy.”
“Oh, but your number!” Tina said, tightening her group. “We should meet up some time soon.”
As if I would ever let that happen. I could see it in Tina’s eyes that she was going to do everything in her power to be at the luncheon if she couldn’t find a way to steal Lucy from us sooner.
“I don’t have it with me,” Lucy said softly. “And I don’t know my number.”
Tina’s eyes turned as wide as saucers.
“I thought young kids these days don’t go anywhere without their phones,” the man said with a laugh. “I guess you’re a rare one.”
“We have to get going,” I said stiffly. “Maybe some other time.”
I pulled Lucy along and said my goodbyes to everyone.
“I’ll find you on social!” Tina called, her voice a little stiff beneath the brightness of her tone. “I’ll see you at the luncheon.”
I grit my teeth as the car pulled up outside. I got Lucy inside, keeping her by my side. It wasn’t until the doors were closed, locked, and the car was in motion that a bit of the fear eased in me.
We need to talk, I said to Matt.
Damn straight, we do. What the hell is going on over there?
I glanced at Lucy, who sat on the other side of the car silently. She stared out the window as the hair clip slipped down the side of her head. She didn’t seem to care about it all.
We’ll talk about it when we get home.
The closer we got to the Estate, the more at ease I felt, but it was twisted in guilt because I couldn’t argue with Tina or anything that Lucy had said, and that was even worse than it all being true. I set my jaw.
“Lucy,” I said. “Do you want to talk?”
She clenched her fists in her lap. “No.”
So we rode the whole way back in silence.
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